Actually, never have done, and I probably couldn't name five NFL teams. But I was more offended by his brainless equation of soldiers with pro-sports athletes than by his brainless attempt to use the deaths of these men to further his politics. In a sports magazine... maybe he can't name five NFL teams either, he's too busy trying to run foreign policy. I'm sure that LtG Barno is glad to have Reilly's input, and will reevaluate his troop requirements now that an actual sportswriter has graduated from putting down athletes and coaches to insulting soldiers and generals. How did George Washington ever deat Cornwallis without Sports Illustrated's advice?
It was bad news about Bates, but Lord love a duck, that accident could have happened at home station. What the article doesn't mention, but other news stories did, is that Bates couldn't swim. Dude, if you can't swim, let someone else do the Baywatch rescues and just drive the boat or something. Or stay ashore and take pictures.
Y'know, if I was a sportswriter, I might suggest that the services could teach their men to swim and save a few lives every year. It wouldn't occur to the sportswriter me, to tell generals how to fight wars. I guess that's why Rick Reilly is in SI and I am not, huh!
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F